Dwan Smith as Delores Williams, middle sister who gives up everything in order to find equality and freedom.Lonette McKee as Sister Williams, initial lead singer of the group, forced to leave because of her drug addiction.Irene Cara as Sparkle Williams, youngest sister who becomes the star of the trio and ultimately a solo artist.Thomas as Stix, manager of the girl group, Sparkle's love interest, initial member of the group. In the end, after reconnecting after Sister's funeral, it is only Sparkle and Stix who climb the ladder to success. Sister is in an abusive relationship and is hung up on drugs while Delores leaves the city in pursuit of racial equality. Stix gives up on his music career and leaves the city and thus breaking Sparkle's heart.

Stix, Sparkle's love interest and the group's manager, is able to help bring the group from 'amateur nights to brief stardom before tragedy (dope, melancholia, the wrong man)' ensues and the group splits. It begins in Harlem, New York, in 1958, and follows the girl group, Sister and the Sisters, which is made up of three sisters: Sister, Sparkle, and Delores. The film was remade in 2012 starring Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter and Whitney Houston in her final film role. The film received generally negative reviews at the time of release and was a box office disappointment, making only $4 million against a $1 million budget. Curtis Mayfield served as the composer and producer of Sparkle's songs and score. The film stars Irene Cara, Philip Michael Thomas, Lonette McKee, Dwan Smith, Mary Alice, Dorian Harewood, and Tony King. This film not only 'recreates the magic of a special period in American history, but it explores the impact of Harlem's musical and social culture on the rest of the world', as well as the linkages to black power. It presents the story of a musical girl group that ends up breaking apart due to individual issues each member faces. With a plot inspired by the history of The Supremes, Sparkle is a period film set in Harlem, New York during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Sparkle is a 1976 American musical drama film directed by Sam O'Steen and released by Warner Bros.

Brutal bedroom scene from sparkle 1976